Former PDP National Chairman Says Goodbye To Politics

Bamanga Tukur, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party has finally bowed out from partisan politics as he turned 80-year-old.

He made this revelation at a lecture in Abuja on Tuesday, September 15, as part of activities marking his 80th birthday celebration.

Tukur who like his successor, Adamu Mu’azu, was pressured into resignation, insisted that he did his best for the PDP, noting that the time has come for him to retire from partisan politics, The Punch reports.

In his word: “I deem it fit to use this opportunity of my 80th birthday celebration to announce my retirement from partisan politics.

“It is time to say goodbye to formal politics. I have used several political platforms to serve my country. I leave partisan politics for the younger generation. I want to be a statesman and an adviser. At the age of 80, I feel I can serve our dear nation more in the capacity of a statesman and father figure.”

The former national chairman explained notwithstanding his unceremonious exit from the PDP, he introduced remarkable reform during his tenure and enforced party discipline.

Tukur was reportedly suspended from PDP after attempting to return to his previous position but met stiff opposition from the then chairman of the party, Mu’azu.

Fayose recently told the former minister of the Federal Capital Territory under former president Goodluck Jonathan, Bala Mohammed to drop his ambition of becoming the next national chairman of the PDP. He said this when Mohammed visited the governor to drum support for his ambition.

The governor hinted that since the PDP might likely pick someone from the North-East as the presidential candidate for 2019 election, it would be reasonable for the next chairman of the party to emerge from the South-West in the spirit of fairness and justice.